Agreement would obligate Loyola to pay hospital workers a living wage and allow them to join a union

BERWYN— Homeowners, teachers, clergy, and hospital workers will voice their concerns about the potential sale of MacNeal Hospital to Loyola Medicine during a 3:45 p.m. press conference outside Berwyn City Hall on Thursday, Feb. 22. Immediately following the press conference, members of the group will voice their concerns at a 4:15 p.m. hearing before the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board.

Critics say the purchase of MacNeal, a for-profit hospital, by the not-for-profit Loyola Medicine hospital system will take badly needed tax revenue from the community, further burdening Berwyn taxpayers and impacting schools and other services. MacNeal is the #1 taxpayer in the City of Berwn. Loyola Medicine, while technically a non-profit, operates like a corporation. In fact, MacNeal Hospital devoted more of its net revenue to charity care than did Loyola Medicine in 2016 (1.02% v. 0.47%). The Cook County Clerk’s office is expected to testify to the precise dollar amount of loss property tax revenue at the hearing.

Workers and faith leaders will highlight the harm Loyola Medicine causes by paying its front-line service workers poverty wages and contrasting those low wages with the high salaries to its CEO and managers. The group also plans to voice concerns that jobs and services currently performed in the community at MacNeal could be moved to other Loyola facilities outside Berwyn.